(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a seat belt retractor and more particularly to a seat belt retractor having a so-called tension eliminator which eliminates the belt tension applied to the belt wearer's body when the wearer assumes a normally seated position.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
A number of proposals have been made in the field of seat belt retractors to provide them with tension eliminators which function to lock the withdrawn belt when the belt assumes the seat occupant restraining position. Some of the tension eliminators are designed to complete the locking of the withdrawn belt at the instant that the buckle and the tongue member of the seat belt are coupled together. Thus, this type tension eliminator inevitably results in the belt being too loose to restrain the seated occupant because the coupling of the buckle and the tongue is made after withdrawing the belt from the retractor a sufficient amount to make the connection, which amount is too much for effective restraining. While many attempts have been made at solving this drawback, none have succeeded in doing so in a simple and economical manner.